Our History

A Passion for Discovery, a History of Scientific Achievement

Brookhaven National Laboratory was established in 1947 on the eastern
end of Long Island at the former site of the U.S. Army’s Camp Upton. Originally
built out of a post-World War II desire to explore the peaceful
applications of atomic energy, the Laboratory now has a broader mission:
to perform basic and applied research at the frontiers of science,
including nuclear and high-energy physics; physics and chemistry of
materials; nanoscience; energy and environmental research; national
security and nonproliferation; neurosciences;
structural biology; and computational sciences. Over its history,
Brookhaven Lab has housed three research reactors, numerous
one-of-a-kind particle accelerators, and other cutting-edge research
facilities responsible for discoveries leading to many advances for
science and society as well as
seven
Nobel Prizes.

Leading Facilities

Brookhaven was originally conceived, in part, to
establish a national laboratory in the Northeastern United
States to design, construct and operate large scientific
machines that individual institutions could not afford to
develop on their own. Throughout the years, Brookhaven’s scientists and
visiting researchers have used these unique facilities to make
discoveries in biology, physics, chemistry, geophysics,
medicine, and materials science.

Scientific Discoveries

Since Brookhaven opened its doors, countless innovations
and inventions by staff and visiting scientists have
contributed to research in many fields. Discoveries made
here have shaped our understanding of the atom and the
universe, advanced medical imaging techniques, and created
new technology and tools for studying microbiology, climate
and pollutants, energy storage and more.

Cultural ResourcesBrookhaven Lab has three facilities that have
been classified as eligible for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places.

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical,
biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security.
Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry
and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven
Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State
University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory
facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization.